Aries Sirius Black
by my patronus is a werewolf
Summary: Aries is the only son of Sirius Black so why did no one know he existed? After his father's death he is sent to Hogwarts. He has lived in isolation for most of his life and has just lost everyone he cared about. How will he cope as a sixth year at Hogwarts? And how will Harry react when he discovers how much his godfather kept from him? AU from end of OOtP, WiP
1. Chapter 1

The line of first years stared at the ceiling in awe as they trooped into the Great Hall behind the stern looking woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. Aries trailed reluctantly behind them, determinedly ignoring the curious stares and whispers that followed his progress through the hall. As they reached the stage at the front where a ragged looking hat that could only be the sorting hat sat on a stool he stood to the side of the nervous huddle they formed. He ignored the hat as it began singing and his eyes swept the hall, searching for the trio that he had heard so much about. There at the Gryffindor table sat a boy who could only be Harry Potter, he looked almost identical to the pictures of James Potter he had seen, as well as the pictures that had been splashed across the front page of the Prophet for the last two years. Next to him were a bushy haired girl and a lanky, red-headed boy who could only be a Weasley. The sorting had commenced but the trio had their heads together, whispering and ignoring everything outside their own little bubble.

The last of the first years scampered off to their table and Dumbledore stood "In just a moment you can all set to work demolishing what I am sure will be another delicious feast but first there is one more student to be sorted. He has been home schooled until now but will be joining the sixth-year." He sat and McGonagall cleared her throat once before announcing "Black, Aries". Harry's head had lifted at the mention of a new sixth-year and he stared in shock at the boy who strode confidently across to the stool and lifted the sorting hat onto his head. He was the spitting image of the Sirius that Harry had seen in the penseive; effortlessly handsome with fine cheekbones and silken black hair, though his was shorter and curled slightly. The hat appeared to be considering something but it took only a minute before it shouted out, loud enough for the whole hall to hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Aries walked calmly to the Gryffindor table amid a round of applause that was almost equalled in noise by the excited conversations his name provoked. He slid onto the bench at the Gryffindor table, opposite Harry and next to a kindly looking boy with a heart-shaped face who introduced himself as Neville Longbottom. The rest of the sixth years nearby, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, introduced themselves but Harry just stared in mute shock. Finally "Why did Sirius never tell me he had a son?!" Stormy grey eyes met emerald ones, filled with shock and betrayal. "He didn't tell anyone. It wasn't safe. Even Moony only found out last September" His expression begged Harry to accept that for now, promising wordlessly that he'd explain more later.

At Harry's reluctant nod he turned away and began answering the curious questions of his classmates. Was he really the son of Sirius Black? Yes. Was his father really innocent (he had been cleared posthumously by the Ministry but many people were still shocked)? Yes. Had he always known that? Yes. Did he like Quidditch? Yes. What was his favourite team? The Caerphilly Catapults. Had he seen any games? No but he listened on the radio. Did he play Quidditch? Yes. What position? Beater. Was he any good? Well, he hadn't really played in any proper games but he thought he was okay. Favourite subject? Defence. The questions lasted through the Feast and the whole walk up to the common room. Aries bore them patiently but didn't elaborate very much, still slightly uncomfortable in the unaccustomed presence of so many people.

...

As soon as Aries clambered through the portrait hole a great black dog bounded up to him and nearly bowled him over. "Paddy!" he scolded affectionately as he stroked the ecstatic dog. Harry, Ron and Hermione all stared at the dog in shock, he was, after all, very similar to Sirius' animagus form. "I got him when he was a puppy. I figured if Indianna Jones can name himself after his dog then I can name my dog after my dad, he does look just like Padfoot". He looked up, taking in the common room properly for the first time. "It looks just like I thought it would! Well, I've seen pictures from when Mum and the Marauders were here but I didn't expect it to look almost exactly the same." His face lit up with a shy smile and he allowed the other boys to drag him and Paddy up to their dorm to unpack.

A sixth bed had been added to the sixth-year boy's dorm and though it was a little more crowded than it had been previously it was soon filled with a cheerful chaos as the teenagers unpacked haphazardly, laughing and joking, catching up after a summer's separation. Aries sat on his bed with a wistful smile, watching the friends banter and tease each other, sticking up posters and arguing over football and Quidditch. He reached into his trunk and pulled out three framed pictures which he put on his bedside table. One photograph was of his parents at their wedding, young and beautiful, with their witnesses, Lily and James Potter, beside them. The next showed them at the house in Wales, cradling a month-old Aries, their smiles had a faint edge this time, as if they realised how much more danger they were in. The final one had been taken in January, it contained Aries and his parents, curled up together on a sofa in Grimmauld Place, pointing out something in a book, and Remus, mock wrestling with Paddy on the rug in front of them, every now and then the inhabitants of the pictures would laugh or look up and smile.

Harry looked over from where he stood beside his bed, between Aries' and Ron's. He walked over and asked, hesitantly, "Would you mind?" Aries shook his head and Harry picked them up, one by one and examined them carefully, recognising them for the treasures they were. He sighed softly, replaced them and looked at him, the grief raw and unchecked in his eyes. Aries lowered his eyes and studied his hands intently, determined not to let any of his other roommates recognise his distress. Harry rested a hand on his shoulder comfortingly for a second before turning back to his own bed.

Rummaging in his trunk again Aries pulled out a Caerphilly Catapults banner and pinned it to the wall beside his bed, next he stuck up a poster of The Clash and finally a hand drawn sketch showing a wolf, a dog and a stag running through a forest. Dean nodded approvingly at the band poster and complimented him on the drawing, the sketch of wall beside his own bed was covered in his drawings, dominated by a proudly roaring lion.

Aries pulled the curtains of his four-poster closed, mumbling a goodnight to the other boys and slipped beneath the covers, Paddy curled up at his feet. It took him longer than normal to get to sleep, unused as he was to sharing a room with others. Their soft chatter lasted another five minutes or so but soon trailed off into deep, relaxed breathing and snoring but he lay awake long after, mulling over the events of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

_A figure towered over the boy curled up in a ball on the pavement in the darkened alley. The boy, no more than fourteen years old, gritted his teeth and glared at the man looming above him. "Crucio" the blond man drawled, a sneer curling one corner of his lip. The boy writhed on the floor in excruciating pain but bit his lip and gritted his teeth, stubbornly refusing to cry out. "Did you enjoy that, my little blood-traitor nephew?" He gave a rumbling, bass chuckle, his broad shoulders shaking with mirth. The boy's only reply was to spit blood at the highly polished boots in front of him. "No? Your mother really should have taught you better manners boy. I'll have to do it instead, after all, what's family for? The Cruciatus hasn't loosed your tongue so I suppose I'll have to be a little more… inventive." He laughed and pointed his wand at the boy once more. The edges of his vision blurred and then it went dark, he couldn't see anything and the only thing he could feel was pain, a deep burning pain that seemed to flow through his body with every beat of his heart. _

Aries jerked awake with a pained cry, glad that he had remembered to place a silencing charm on his curtains. He lay, sweating and shaking with remembered pain, in his tangled sheets for a minute then struggled out of his bed and collapsed on the floor, chest heaving. A noise from close by startled him and he skidded backwards but it was only Harry, who was curled on the window-seat and had turned to look at him. Aries couldn't look him in the eye, instead he staggered to the bathroom.

Alone in the cool, white tiled room, he relaxed a little. His breath was still ragged and uneven, harsh in the peace of the early morning and he leaned heavily on the edge of one of the sinks. He ran the tap for a minute and cupped his hands and splashed water over his face, trying to shake off the shackles of the nightmare that still clung stubbornly to the edges of his mind.

He stared at himself in the mirror; he was going to look like hell in the morning, or later in the morning anyway, as it was already 3:30. A young version of his father's face stared back out of the frame at him. He really did look remarkably like his dad, the only traces of his mother were the curl to his hair, the large eyes (though they were the Black family's stormy grey) and the slight point to his ears. Shaking the water from his face and hair like a dog, he pushed away from the sink, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly to calm himself.

There was no way he could stay in here any longer without it being clear he was hiding from Harry so he exited reluctantly, entering the dorm room once more and moving to his bed. He leant against one of the posts at its corner and studied the boy sitting with his head resting against the window pane and gazing longingly at the night sky outside.

Harry turned and met his gaze "Couldn't sleep either?" he asked softly. Aries shrugged embarrassed but he just smiled wanly and said "I get nightmares too". An echo of shared pain and grief flashed in two sets of eyes, for a moment making them look almost identical despite the vastly different colours, there was a maturity in them only gained through suffering and acknowledging that nothing is permanent and that everything fades and dies. "Want to go talk in the common room so we don't wake this lot?" Harry jerked his head in the direction of their slumbering dorm mates.

Aries nodded shyly and pushed away from his bed, gesturing for Harry to lead the way. Paddy raised his head from where it had rested and fixed his eyes on them, he tilted his head quizzically at them, as if wondering what they could possibly be thinking of, getting up at this hour of the morning. He let out a sigh and got wearily to his feet, padding out of the dorm after the two boys on soft, bearlike paws.

Once in the common room Harry led them over to what were clearly a couple of his favourite chairs next to the fire. He settled in one and Aries curled up in the chair opposite. They were a little threadbare but comfortable and clearly well loved, the coverlets a faded scarlet that matched the rest of the room's décor. Paddy wandered over lazily and lay next to the hearth, the fire was low, nearly down to the embers but it still emitted enough heat that the huge dog stretched in pleasure before slumping in front of it. He appeared to settle into a comfortable doze but one eye was half open, fixed on his master.

The two boys stared at each other for several minutes, at a loss for what to say. They were both dark haired and handsome but while Aries had finely chiselled cheekbones and aristocratic looks, Harry had a less refined but still appealing appearance, his face still clinging to some indefinable sense of innocence and goodness, in comparison to the roguish looks of his companion.

They examined each other for a moment longer then both spoke at the same time "You look just like your dad". There was a moment's awkward silence before they both chuckled; Aries released a bark-like laugh so eerily similar to his father that it made Harry start. A grin spread over his face slowly, "How long do you think before we start confusing the teachers?" An answering grin spread across Aries face "They'll think they've gone back twenty years". "BLACK! POTTER! What do you think you are doing?! DETENTION!" Harry's imitation of McGonnagal made Aries collapse, giggling, into the embrace of his chair. "Oh, man" snickered Harry "Snape's gonna _love _you! This year's gonna be so much fun!" Aries pulled a funny face and the two boys lapsed into giggles, laughing comfortably with each other as if they'd been friends for years rather than hours.

Eventually their giggles quietened and Harry's face turned serious "I can't believe Sirius never told me about you. We should have known each other for years." Aries grimaced "Don't take it personally, he didn't tell anyone, well, except your mum and dad. Remus only found out last September when we moved into Grimmauld Place. The rest of the Order didn't find out until after…" he trailed off. Matching pained looks flittered across both their faces before Harry said "I guess I just don't understand why he thought it was necessary to hide you". Aries sighed "I suppose I'll have to explain everything, you deserve it, after all, he told me all about _you_, only fair you should know all about _me_. Just, don't interrupt, okay? It's gonna be hard to explain. Painful. If I stop I don't think I'll be able to start again". Harry nodded and Aries sighed before staring into the embers of the fire and starting to speaking, his voice soft with a lilting Welsh accent.


	3. Chapter 3

"To say my childhood was unconventional would be an understatement. I was born Aries Sirius Black on the thirtieth of August 1981 to Sirius Orion Black and Alexandra Black nee Rowle. My father was the disowned first-born blood-traitor son of a powerful pureblood family and my mother was, likewise, outcast from her strict pureblood family for her political views. They met at Hogwarts though did not date until after they had graduated, my father was training to be an auror and mother training to be a healer, both kept the relationship a secret, well aware of the target they would make themselves if it were ever known - blood-traitor members of prominent Voldemort supporting families, an auror and both members of the order of the phoenix." A fond smile tugged at Aries lips as he spoke, but when he started up again it vanished.

"And then my mother fell pregnant. Their marriage was held in secret, the only attendees were your parents, James and Lily Potter. Father had agreed to be the decoy for their secret keeper and, fearful for the life of both of us, he arranged for Mother and I to be hidden before her pregnancy even began to show. As far as the world was concerned she was dead and I had never existed. I have pictures of my family all together in those precious few months before our world dissolved, Father would visit as often as he could while being wary not to draw attention to us and Mother desperately tried to hold onto some remnant of his presence through photographs, always fearing that this visit might be his last, that he might be snatched from us through the cruelty of war. And then he was. Not at the end of a Death Eaters' wand though, fighting for the Aurors or the Order as she had feared, no, he was framed for the betrayal of his best friends and the deaths of thirteen people." His face was grim and he practically growled the last sentence. Paddy's ears pricked up at the tone and he raised his head in his spot by the fire, as though checking for danger nearby. Harry grimaced in sympathy but did not interrupt.

"Mother did not show herself and testify that he was not their Secret Keeper out of fear of the roving bands of Death Eaters, made desperate by the fall of their Lord and by the time they were all captured it was too late, Sirius Black was an insane murderer and betrayer, vilified beyond all reason and the emergence of his wife and son would have been dangerous for us both. So we stayed in hiding in the house that my Great-Uncle Alphard left to my father, deep in the Welsh wilderness."

"When I turned eleven I received my Hogwarts letter but did not attend, I had no wish to be stared at for being the son of an accused murderer and mother feared for my safety, I was tutored at home and still, no one but my parents was aware of my existence. We would visit muggle towns under glamours and assumed identities occasionally but were largely isolated, not that I minded, I had my books, my broom, my dog Paddy (short for Padfoot, after my father) and hills and mountains to roam at my leisure." Though he had seemed regretful when he spoke of his Hogwarts letter the memory of his childhood home brought a wistful smile to his face, as though he were recalling a pleasant dream.

"Not long before my twelfth birthday we received the news that my father had escaped Azkaban and rejoiced but he did not come and find us, not until the next summer did he return to us. Azkaban had left its mark upon him and so, to aid his recovery in a place he did not have to fear recognition, we travelled abroad for a time, that's why his letters to you were carried by exotic birds. Then father received word from you and we returned to Britain so that Father could be near if you needed help. Mother and I returned to our home and he stayed with us intermittently, living near Hogwarts at times when he felt you were particularly in danger. My training was stepped up, I had always been quick and wanted to complete my OWLS that year, one year early, but Father also helped, giving me some of the training he received as an auror." Harry looked guilty at the thought that he had been responsible for the separation of the recently reunited family but when he opened his mouth to apologise he remembered his companion's request for silence until he had finished.

"That academic year culminated in an event that changed everything once again, Voldemort's return. Suddenly Father was needed in the reforming of the Order of the Phoenix and Headquarters was to be at Grimmauld Place, the Black townhouse in London, where he would have to stay to allow them access to the wards. We did not join him there immediately; Mother did not trust that there was not another spy in their ranks, another Wormtail. The Weasleys, you and Hermione (who Dad told me had been with you when you helped him escape from Hogwarts on the back of Buckbeak) were staying, once you were retrieved from his relatives. I have the letters Father wrote me that summer, he told me how guilty he felt for wishing that your trial went badly so that you would be expelled and could live with us and he could raise us both like brothers as he and James had promised each other they would should anything happen to either one of them." Conflicting emotions tore across Harry's face, the thought of leaving Hogwarts was not pleasant but he almost wished he had, in order to be part of that family. He could not dwell on it for long however, as Aries was talking once more.

"Once you had all left for Hogwarts and the older Weasleys had returned to their home then Mother and I joined him. The house was awful, dusty and full of the accumulated artefacts of centuries of Dark Arts followers but I was with both my parents and was even introduced to Remus Lupin, the only one of my father's friends still alive apart from the Rat- shocked does not even begin to cover his reaction. We lived relatively peacefully for the next three and a half months, Mother, Father and Remus all taught me, Paddy and I explored the house, and as a family we healed from long years of isolation, imprisonment and separation."

"Then, just before Christmas, Arthur Weasley was attacked and the Weasleys, you and Hermione descended on Grimmauld Place once more so Mother and I retreated to Wales, I didn't want to leave but Father insisted. I'm not quite sure why we persisted in hiding our existence from even our closest allies but we did. Once we returned to London life continued much the same as before; studying, getting to know my father and hiding in my room (formerly my uncle Regulus') on the top floor next to my parents' room when the Order had their meetings." Once more Harry looked guilty, his Christmas with his Godfather had come at the price of the man's Christmas with his family, but Aries shrugged it off.

" I suppose we must have become complacent in a way, after so many years making trips into the local towns and villages back in Wales, even to Cardiff one or twice, we decided Mother and I could risk a trip into Muggle London. We did not venture into Diaggon Alley, that would have been foolish, but we wandered close to the Leaky Cauldron and it was there we were spotted, despite changes in eye and hair colour, by my uncle, the Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle. He cornered us in an alley as we prepared to disapparate and, with the help of silencing and muggle repelling charms conbined with anti-apparition wards he had us trapped, to question us at his leisure. Mother would not talk, even when he used the Cruciatus but when he turned it on me she broke, admitting who we were and that we had been hiding for the last fourteen years but never mentioning the Order or that we knew Father was innocent or were in contact with him. Eventually, he got bored, Mother distracted him and he turned on her, while her eyes urged me to flee, he used the Avada Kedavra. I ran. I don't know how I made it across London back home when my whole body was shaking and screaming with pain and tears blinded me but I did." Aries' face was haunted as he deliberately avoided Harry's shocked, pitying gaze.

"The next months were not pretty. Father and I fell apart. Mother had been the centre around which my whole life revolved, my teacher, my only company through the lonely years of my childhood. Father had spent so long locked up and finally regained his wife and son only to lose her less than two years later. I barely slept, plagued by nightmares of the death which I witnessed and my own torture, and Father drank. Remus kept us alive, ensuring Father left his bottles and I my books to get regular meals but nothing could fill the gaping hole in our lives. As the months passed things improved a little, Father still drank and I was still reclusive but we would sometimes spend evenings in front of the fire, him telling stories of Mother in their youth and me telling of her when I was a child." Aries was stroking Paddy's head, which now rested in his lap as the dog looked up at him mournfully, as if understanding his mood.

"I was hiding in my room, relaxing after having completed the last of my OWLS (in disguise) at the Ministry earlier that day, when the Order heard about your presence in the Department of Mysteries. Father was not supposed to go with them, he was meant to stay and speak to Dumbledore but he didn't. I think I understand why he left, he had not been able to save Lily and James, he had not been able to save Mother but he could at least try to save you."

"I heard the door unlock from where I waited, halfway up the first flight of stairs. Remus entered first, he was drawn and pale, I could see something in his eyes when he met mine, he looked broken. His voice shook as he spoke "Aries. I'm so sorry." I lost it. I shouted and screamed, my rage and loss sending great uncontrollable tremors through my body, my magic raging around me, rattling the paintings on the walls and smashing ornaments. I did not even notice the other Order members crowded in behind Remus staring at me in shock. He approached me warily and wrapped me in his arms. I buried my head against his head and sobbed for the loss of my father, so soon after my mother, so soon after I finally got him back, and for myself, cast adrift in the world, an orphan who most did not even realise existed." Aries was white and drawn but he gritted his teeth and persevered with his tale.

" 'What the bloody hell is going on here?' growled a man who I recognised from my father's stories as Mad-Eye Moody. I did not pay attention to Remus' explanation, to their shocked looks and exclamations, their questions. Eventually Remus scooped me up when I grew weak from crying and carried me to the drawing room. He sat on one of the sofas and I curled up next to him, my head in his lap as he carded his hand through my hair comfortingly. I could fell his voice rumbling through me as he spoke to the others, who had followed him, settling on chairs and settees. Someone produced some Firewhisky and I remember the clink of glasses and the soft murmur of stories telling stories of my Father as I slipped, exhausted into sleep." He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the imprints left by his nails cutting into flesh.

"No one knew what to do with me. There was talk of sending me to live with Andromeda, my father's cousin, but I didn't want to leave Grimmauld place, despite the memory of what I had lost haunting every room. Returning to Wales was out of the question, I didn't want to sully my childhood memories of its beauty with the despair I was feeling. Remus and I stayed in the house but my cousin Tonks often visited and she helped a lot. It couldn't last however, Remus couldn't teach me everything on his own so it was decided that, come September I'd attend Hogwarts and start as a sixth year because I'd already done my OWLs. Tonks took me to get my supplies at Diagon Alley once my booklist arrived. I'd never been before. And now, here I am."

Aries finished his story and silence fell. He looked up at the boy opposite him and in the green eyes saw, not pity, he would have hated that, but understanding and an echo of his own pain reflected back at him. He attempted to smile "I always did want to go to Hogwarts."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: text in italics taken from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Chapter Nine, Pages 166-167**

When Ron woke up on the morning of the 2nd of September and saw the bed next to his was empty he panicked. Harry had spent the last few weeks of the summer at The Burrow and it was clear to everyone who saw him that he was not coping well with the death of his godfather; his mood had fluctuated wildly between bouts of deep depression and anger but he had seemed to improve a little as the time to return to Hogwarts had approached.

Ron hadn't needed Fred and George to take him aside and tell him to keep an eye on Harry and make sure he didn't do anything stupid, he had already resolved to do so, but the twins' claiming of Harry as family reassured something inside him he had not realised even existed.

So, when he saw Harry was gone, he worried; the revelation that Sirius had had a son and that he had hidden his son, even from Harry, could not have been easy. Then he saw that Aries was also missing and, far from soothing his worries, it only made them worse. He stumbled out of bed, padding hastily over to the bathroom and peering in but it was empty.

The dorm room floor was cold on his bare feet as he returned to the middle of the room and inspected the empty beds. As far as he could see, both Harry's and Aries' uniforms were undisturbed so they had not gone down to breakfast. A little more awake now, his mind no longer sleep fuddled and blurry with panic but still on edge, he headed down the spiral staircase towards the common room.

It was early but a group of forth year girls were climbing out the portrait hole on their way to an early breakfast when Ron emerged from the bottom of the stairs. The girls threw one last look over their shoulders at the armchairs by the fire, sighing and giggling, as the portrait shut behind them. Ron followed the direction of their gaze and headed over to his, Harry's and Hermione's favourite group of chairs.

The fire had long ago burnt down to embers but the huge black Grim-like dog curled in front of it lifted its head to watch his progress. It was Aries dog, Ron remembered, and it really was remarkable how much like Padfoot it really looked.

Two figures slept uncomfortably in the chairs in front of him. Harry was sprawled across his chair but in sleep his carefully composed mask slipped and Ron could read the grief and exhaustion written clearly across his face. Opposite him sat Sirius' son, curled up into a foetal position as though to protect himself from something, a grimace of pain on his face but no sound escaping him.

The deep shadows under their eyes confirmed Ron's suspicions: they had stayed up most of the night talking. And he hadn't been invited. Immediately he felt a deep resentment start to roil in his stomach. This wasn't fair! _He_, Ron, was Harry's best friend, not this interloper, and if anybody should have been staying up for hours talking it should have been them (and maybe Hermione as well but she liked obeying the rules too much).

Ron's earlier worry turned to anger as he gazed at the pair of sleeping boys. How dare Harry make him worry like that? How dare he sneak off to spend time with the new boy who wasn't even his friend! Who even was the new boy? Ron had heard Aries' answers to his housemates questioning at the feast and afterwards but it had not really revealed much about the boy beyond some superficial facts. He wanted to know where exactly this boy had been hiding, who he was hiding from, who his mother was and _why_ Sirius had never told them about him. It was only fair; after all, his very existence hurt Harry, showing him that he did not know his godfather at all.

Ron cleared his throat loudly, waking both boys. Harry woke quickly as ever, conditioned from years at the Dursleys' to rise immediately, he looked blearily up at him, smiling slightly. Aries on the other hand stiffened, flicking his wand from a holster on his wrist as he crouched as though expecting attack. Cold grey eyes stared at Ron assessing before Aries relaxed slightly, returning his want to its holder.

"What was that?" asked Ron suspiciously. Aries mumbled something inaudible in reply. "Afraid a Death Eater's going to appear out of nowhere and attack you?" he said with a sneer worthy of Malfoy.

Aries turned abruptly, his shoulders held stiffly, head high, and strode back up the stairs to the dorm but as he did Ron could have sworn he heard the smaller boy mumble "Well, look what happened last time I let my guard down…"

Ron watched the smaller boy walk off, glaring at his back "What's his problem?" he asked indignantly. Harry glared at him "You're a real bastard you know that Ron". His best friend just gaped at him "You don't know anything about him" Harry continued tersely before following Aries up to the dorm room, leaving a bewildered Ron gazing after him.

Aries followed Harry down to the great hall for breakfast in brooding silence. He didn't know what Ron's problem was, Aries hadn't done anything wrong, he'd never even met the boy before, so why this hostility? Sometimes he just didn't understand people. The sixth year Gryffindors made a loose group as they walked down yet another flight of stairs on their way to the Great Hall.

Ron and Hermione trailed along at the back of the group, Ron flinging resentful glares at the new boy as he walked at Harry's side, lost in his own thoughts. "I don't know who he thinks he is. Trying to make Harry his best friend. Being so rude to me. Arrogant, stuck up prat. He's as bad as Malfoy. In fact, that must be it! He's _related_ to Malfoy, isn't he?" Ron kept up a constant litany of complaint for the next several minutes.

"Oh Ron," Hermione sighed "I thought after last year, maybe a tablespoon, but apparently not." Ron just looked at her in confusion. "Think about it. His Dad has just died. He's got nobody left. He gets sent to Hogwarts when he's probably never even been to school before. He meets Harry, who was his father's godson. Sirius was supposed to raise Harry; they would have grown up like brothers. And then he has to deal with you, being so hostile. I'm sure it's all very overwhelming."

The scowl did not shift from Ron's face as he replied indignantly "Brothers? What would he need that git as a brother for? He's got me and my brothers! Or does Black not think the Weasley family is good enough for Harry?" Hermione gave him up as a bad job, at least for now, as they entered the hall and settled opposite Harry and Aries on the Gryffindor table.

Aries mumbled a greeting to Hermione as he picked at his toast but Harry was awake enough to maintain a conversation about NEWTs. Aries pointedly ignored the unfriendly glances Ron shot at him as he attempted to follow his yearmates' conversations, occassionaly contributing something but mostly observing them.

McGonnagall strode along the table to them as they finished eating and started handing out their schedules, checking as she did so that everyone had gained the required OWL scores for their chosen courses. _"I must say, I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark, Potter, very pleased. Now, why haven't you applied to continue with Potions? I thought it was your ambition to become an Auror?"_

_"It was, but you told me I had to get an 'Outstanding' in my O.W.L., Professor"_

_"And so you did when Professor Snape was teaching the subject. Professor Slughorn, however, is perfectly happy to accept N.E.W.T. studets with 'Exceeds Expectations at O.W.L do you wish to proceed with Potions?"_

_"Yes," said Harry "but I didn't buy the books or any ingredients or anything-"_

_"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be able to lend you some," said Professor McGonagall._

"So hang on, if Slughorn is teaching Potions then who is the new Defence professor?" Ron asked, confused.

"Professor Snape" McGonnagall replied.

"SNAPE?! SNAPE'S THE NEW DEFENCE PROFESSOR! WHAT THE HELL IS DUMBLEDORE THINKING?!" roared Ron.

Their Head of House's glare silenced the redhead and convinced Harry that speaking his mind would not be advisable at that point in time.

"I suggest you all collect your books from your dormitory now in order to be on time for class, I believe you have Transfiguration with me first" she suggested, her mouth a thin line, eyes stern. The sixth years mumbled in agreement and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower.

**A/N: did anyone get my teaspoon/tablespoon reference? i thought it might be a bit obscure but one of my best friends said they thought it'd be fine, anyway, hope people enjoyed the chapter :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Minerva McGonagall straightened her notes for the lesson on her desk as she stood, stern and imposing, waiting for her first class of the new school year to begin. It was Gryffindor Sixth Years, this class had always been one of her favourites, containing as it did, the prodigy that was Hermione Granger and the constant surprise that was Harry Potter. Though he may not have had Hermione's gift for perfect recall or speed at mastering spells, Harry was both powerful and resourceful; deploying spells successfully in inventive ways under great pressure, as testified by his very survival.

There was another student to take note of this year, Aries Black. To say Minerva was shocked on first learning of the boy would be an understatement but upon hearing more of his situation she had decided that it should not have been such a surprise. After all, Sirius had been prepared to be a decoy for the Potters' real secret keeper, to be captured, tortured and killed for information he did not actually possess, for the sake of the man he considered a brother, so to what lengths would he go in order to protect his own wife and son?

It comforted her somewhat that though he had lost twelve years of his life to the living hell that was Azkaban, he had at least had a short time of peace with his family. Minerva didn't understand why, after the Order had been recalled, Sirius had persisted in concealing them but perhaps isolation and protection had become an ingrained habit which, considering Pettigrew's betrayal, may even have been wise.

The news of Sirius' death had hit her hard; the Marauders had always been her favourite students and she had fondly considered him almost like an unruly but charming nephew. Aries' situation had only compounded her distress. She had heard of him the day after the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries, when Alastor Moody reported in to Dumbledore, but it was days before she heard the whole story from a grief stricken Remus Lupin.

Remus had appeared at the door to her quarters one night and promptly collapsed in an armchair before breaking down completely. It had taken two whiskies to get him to start talking and even then it took a lot of coaxing to draw the full story out of him. By the time he was finished with his tale, the plight of the broken man before her and the orphaned boy now relying solely upon him had awakened maternal instincts within her which had lain dormant for most of her life.

So it was with no little anxiety that she waited for the first lesson of the day.

When the bell rang and the students filed into the Transfiguration classroom it was as if, for a split second, Minerva was transported back twenty years, watching another pair of black haired Gryffindors- one with messy hair and glasses, the other with aristocratic features and stormy grey eyes- as they entered the room. Then the boys looked up and the moment passed, for neither James nor Sirius had ever had eyes with that haunted expression in them; a poorly disguised well of pain and grief that threatened to draw you in and drown you, the knowledge that life _wasn't_ fair, it was full of pain and suffering, and the conviction that everyone who loved them would die. Though one pair of eyes were a chilling avada kedavra green and the others an icy grey they were identical in the pain of loss that echoed deep within them, simmering just below the surface, threatening to overwhelm them at any second, and the rage at the unfairness of it all, which would eventually break free, undoubtedly with spectacular results.

Harry settled at his usual desk and gestured at Aries to sit next to him. The younger boy slipped into the chair, pulling his books, parchment and quill from the bag, oblivious to the glare being aimed at the back of his head as Ron Weasley settled into the row behind, next to Hermione. Minerva watched their interactions with interest, she had suspected that Harry and Aries might get along well, though she did not know the latter well, as neither of Harry's other friends understood his loss. Ron and Hermione had liked Sirius but not loved him as Harry or Aries had, and neither had experienced the loss of a parent figure, unlike the two orphaned boys who were the only sons of the had hoped Ron would accept Aries but the jealousy was hardly surprising, after all, he had been prone to fits of jealousy before, she could only hope it would blow over. Both boys needed all the friends they could get over the coming months if they were going to heal.

Minerva looked around the room once more to ascertain that all the students were settled, then launched into her opening speech on the importance of NEWTs and working hard throughout both sixth and seventh years as it would permanently affect their future. That done, she started on the advanced theory that would be required for the day's lesson. Then, half way through the double period she demonstrated the wand movement and incantation used for the conjuring of birds and set the class to practising.

She strolled around the classroom, watching the students work, correcting pronunciation and wand movements as needed but always keeping an eye on the quartet. It was no surprise to her when only fifteen minutes into the practise, Hermione Granger managed to conjure a few small birds which fluttered round her head for several minutes before disappearing. What did surprise her however, was when she had circled the classroom once and stopped beside Aries and Harry's desk and saw the Black scion's work.

He had conjured, not three or four simple, identical, birds as Hermione had, but nearly a dozen different types of hummingbirds. They darted and hovered around his head, flashes of iridescent blue, green and purple, even a few red or gold. Aries smiled calmly up at her and twirled his wand at the birds who began interweaving in an intricate aerial ballet. She smiled, proud of the newest of her Cubs, and awarded Gryffindor ten points.

Clearly, the boy had inherited his father's talent for Transfiguration. She wondered, absently, where he had got the idea for the Hummingbirds from, it was easiest to conjure something you were already familiar with. Then she remembered, Lupin had mentioned the Black family had travelled for a few months, after Sirius had escaped on the Hippogriff, he hadn't said where but clearly it had included parts of South America. Come to think of it, she vaguely remembered a few exotic looking birds delivering Harry letters at the start of his fourth year.

Harry was staring in amazement at the new boy but soon turned back to his own work, which he continued with renewed determination. A few minutes later two small robins swooped down and nestled in his hair. He sat very still, careful not to dislodge them, as the rest of the class chucked.

"Didn't I always say your hair looked like a bird's nest, mate?" hollered Dean Thomas from his seat on the other side of the classroom. Beside him, Seamus Finnigan had collapsed onto his desk in a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

Minerva turned to face them, raising one thin eyebrow "Mister Thomas, Mister Finnigan, as I have yet to see you two conjure so much as a feather, I ask you to contain your mirth and get back to work" she reprimanded them. The two boys turned back to their own work and she faced Harry "Good work Mister Potter, next time, try and concentrate on conjuring more than two" then she spun on her heel and marched over to inspect the work of Lavender Brown.

Ron, the only one of the quartet who had yet to succeed scowled, looking enviously at Hermione's blackbirds, Harry's robins and Aries' hummingbirds. His brow furrowed in concentration but this time, after carefully watching Hermione, he managed it and a pair of wrens flittered around the classroom, before disappearing a couple of minutes later, just as Harry's robins faded. A grin split his freckled face and he basked in Hermione's praise, pointedly ignoring the exotic birds still dancing around the new boy.

The bell rang a quarter of an hour later, startling them all as they had been directing their conjured birds, using their wands, in races around the classroom in order to "perfect their control" as Harry had explained, guilelessly, when McGonagall had scolded them. The Gryffindors scribbled down their homework assignment and scrambled eagerly into the corridor, glad for the break.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: the sections in italics are from The Half Blood Prince, Chapter 9**

The first week of term had, so far, been relatively quiet, thought Hermione Granger, or quiet for Hogwarts in any case. That meant that no mystery had presented itself and no one had tried to kill Harry. Yet.

That was not to say there had not been any number of minor disturbances, just that so far, none of them had been life threatening. The most persistent cause of unrest was, unsurprisingly, Ron's jealously at the presence of the new boy, Aries, and of Harry's rapidly forming friendship with him. Though he had only been at Hogwarts since the Welcome Feast on Monday night, Sirius' son had immediately been welcomed by the Gryffindors, in particular by Harry but also, surprisingly, Neville. The bond between Harry and Aries was, perhaps, to be expected, after all, they were both still reeling from the death of a father or a man who was as good as a father, but Aries friendship with Neville seemed just as genuine, though not as immediate or intense.

The events at the Ministry had changed Neville; he seemed to have matured massively over the summer. Whether it was being trusted and included to go along, actually holding his own against the Death Eaters or facing and then defying his parents' torturer, Bellatrix Lestrange, something had triggered a metamorphosis of sorts in the blonde Gryffindor. He was no longer the shy, awkward boy who had proudly shown off his Mimbulus Mimbletonia on the Hogwarts Express the previous year. There was a definite air of confidence around him that occasionally allowed glimpses of the steely determination and iron will that lay hidden beneath the surface.

Ron was not doing a good job at concealing his jealously and dislike of Aries and subsequently Harry, Aries and Neville had distanced themselves slightly from the glowering red-head. Hermione, while pleased to be spending time with Ron alone, did not appreciate the fact that he spent most of that time complaining about another boy. She knew Ron had always prized his position as Harry's best male friend but this jealousy was getting ridiculous; his dislike of Aries was completely irrational. From the time she had spent with him in Ancient Runes he was highly intelligent, kind, a little shy sometimes but could be as animated and cheerful as Sirius sometimes. Hopefully it wouldn't take long for Ron to recognise these good traits and see that Aries was not trying to replace him. Ron had his brothers, why could he not accept Harry having a god-brother?She sighed and slipped her Defence book back into her bag, standing and waiting for the others to join her to head to class.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was, whilst not her strongest subject, probably the most important at this point in time, after all, they were at war. And who better to teach them to defend themselves against the Dark Arts and Death Eaters than Snape? The spy may have an unpleasant character but he had more experience than any of their previous teachers, not counting Moody as he had never really taught them. Needless to say, the boys were not looking forward to the lesson.

"I still can't believe Dumbledore's letting _Snape_ teach Defence!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing a last piece of toast and stuffing it in his mouth as they left the Gryffindor table.

"Ronald that's disgusting. At least _try_ to chew your food!" Hermione scolded. Ron rolled his eyes but slowed, the toast disappeared at a slightly less alarming rate after her reprimand.

"I know what you mean Ron. I finally escape from Potions and Snape starts teaching Defence?! One of the few subjects I'm good at and Snape has to teach it. He still hasn't forgiven me for the boggart!" groaned Neville looking glum.

"Or blowing up that Pepper-Up" sniggered Harry, shoving his friend teasingly on the shoulder "I still haven't figured out how you managed to turn his hair purple."

The other Gryffindors guffawed loudly as the boisterous group made their way to class but Neville just glared balefully at Harry who pouted and pretended to look contrite.

The door to the Defence classroom was flung slammed against the wall with a crash that made the students queuing outside jump as the deep, resonant voice of their Professor ordered them to enter. They filed, a little apprehensively, into the room in complete silence so as to avoid drawing the wrath of Snape down upon themselves. The man had been bad enough teaching potions, how much worse would he be when he was teaching a subject where he could use curses and hexes on them to _demonstrate_ their effects?

The class looked around curiously as they entered the room, though subtly enough to avoid catching their teacher's attention and attracting his scorn. _Snape had imposed his personality upon the room already; it was gloomier than usual, as curtains had been drawn over the windows, and was lit by candlelight. New pictures adorned the walls, many of them showing people who appeared to be in pain, sporting grisly injuries or strangely contorted body parts. Nobody spoke as they settled down, looking around at the shadowy, gruesome pictures._

"_The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."_

Hermione was fascinated, the Professor was clearly very experienced and was attempting to explain to them, who had never faced any of these awful things, the danger of their foes._"Your defenses," said Snape, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo." _Hermione focused even more intently, she didn't want to miss anything. _"These pictures" - he indicated a few of them as he swept past - "give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse" - he waved a hand toward a witch who was clearly shrieking in agony - "feel the Dementor's Kiss" - a wizard lying huddled and blank-eyed, slumped against a wall - "or provoke the aggression of the Inferius" - a bloody mass upon ground._ The images were shocking yet they brought home the reality of what they were up against, she thought with a muted approval.

"Doubtless some of you little Gryffindors" he sneered "believe you know how to fight, know what the Dark Lord's followers are capable. You are wrong. If you take it upon yourself to _laugh_ in the face of the Death Eaters you _will die_," He shot a nasty look at Harry and Aries "at the very least your recklessness will get _other people _killed. Anyone who goes into a fight with less than complete control and focus is a fool who _deserves _to die." Harry was pale, his eyes massive and fighting back tears. Beside him, Aries face had closed off and his clenched fists, resting on the table, were shaking with barely suppressed rage.

Snape turned in a swirl of black robes to face them all as he reached the front of the room, obsidian eyes raking over the students, lingering on the Gryffindors. He picked up the register and read the first name on the list. "Black. Ah yes, the mutt's son. Tell me boy, was he too ashamed of you to allow you to attend school before now or were you merely too much of a dunderhead?" He spat the words, a sneer twisting his lip. "Never mind, the _heroic_ fool is finally dead, it does not matter what he wanted. I suggest you pay attention in this class, mutt, you will need it should you run into your dear cousin. I hear she normally likes to play more but was, unfortunately, denied the opportunity."

Aries snapped; he stood abruptly, fury etched in every line of his stance, eyes blazing with rage and hatred. "YOU SHUT UP, SNIVELLUS!" he roared, his whole body shaking with the force of his fury. A wind made of pure magic whipped up around him. He was the eye of the storm, hair merely ruffled gently as if by a light breeze while further out it ripped the posters from the wall, swept books, parchments and quills off the desks and set the windows rattling desperately in their frame. Suddenly a book set aflame, followed by another and another, breaking Aries from his daze as he turned and stormed from the class.

Hermione sat at her desk, stunned, for once, into silence. She couldn't believe Snape had said any of that. Sure, the man was vindictive but it appeared they had all underestimated his hatred for Sirius and by extension, Aries. Nonetheless, she would not have expected that sort of reaction from Aries. He had always come across a little reserved, though that could have been a result of his grief. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that sort of _wild_¸ raw magical power and rage dwelling beneath the front he put on for the world.

She turned to Harry in time to see a single tear trickle down his face as he too fled from the class. She had never seen Harry cry before. Hermione believed it was a residue of his time with the Dursleys; she was sure they would not have comforted him when he was a small child and cried so he had learnt that tears did not help, in fact, sometimes they made things worse, and so he suppressed them whenever they threatened.

Neville, who had been sitting beside Harry and Aries, had gradually paled as the Professor had spoken and at the mentioned of Bellatrix he had blanched but his face hardened and resolved. He stood and glared at the dark man at the front of the room. "That was the most despicable thing I have ever seen you do. I was there, I saw Sirius Black fight for his godson, for all of us who were there, and I saw him die. He fought well and gave his life protecting those he loved. There is nothing more any of us could ask in these troubled times. He died a hero. And for you to mock the man and his sacrifice to the face of his son and godson is unpardonable. You do not speak ill of the dead. I did not think even you would sink that low. And the Lestrange _scum_ does not _play_, the bitch is a psychopath who enjoys torturing people before she kills them- if they're lucky. Do not _ever_ mention her in my presence again." And with that, he turned smartly on his heel and marched from the room, looking every inch the aristocratic, pureblood heir.

A ringing silence filled the room when he left, as everyone stared after the three departed boys in shock, even Snape was momentarily stunned. He seemed to collect himself then, "A hundred points from Gryffindor" he snarled. The students broke from their collective shock and a few grumbles could be heard from the remaining Gryffindors. "Silence! _Now, you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of non-verbal spells"_ The lesson began in earnest, though with the absence of three of Hermione's friends. She snapped herself out of her contemplation and redoubled her concentration, determined to be able to fill them in on the lesson if necessary.

**A/N: sorry this took slightly longer than usual to get out, i've been ill :( anyhoo, if you like it or have any suggestions for improvement or future plot or anything, please review :)  
**

**Thanks to doscabezas and cytankee for the reviews :) also, thanks to Becka, my unofficial beta and sounding board for ideas :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Aries fled from the classroom, clinging onto the last shreds of his self-control with all his might. He ran with no heed for direction or destination, only needing to get away. His robes whipped around him as he was almost carried along by the roaring force of his magic which howled through the corridors as a vicious wind. He took corner after corner without paying attention to where he was going, sprinting through a maze of identical corridors until finally he found himself in the entrance hall.

He turned to face the doors which burst open and he staggered out, buffeted on all sides by the force of his anger, manifesting in his magic. His heart was beating a rapid tattoo in his head and his breathing was coming in great, hitching gasps. The wind whipped around him and he let out a great roar filled with rage, grief and loneliness as he fell to his knees. A tree on the edge of the forest, directly in front of him seemed to explode as a bolt of pure magic formed in the whirlwind and struck out at it.

A tear forced itself out of one of Aries eyes, he pushed himself to his feet and wrestled with his magic, desperately trying to get it back under his control. He looked around frantically, panic making itself known with a sick, churning feeling in his stomach, for some way to bleed off the excess power his emotions had unleashed. He stumbled to the edge of the lake and fired off bolt after bolt of unfocused, wild magic into its inky depths. Geysers 10 metres high erupted from the point of impact and Aries gave a feral grin as he vented his anger.

Eventually he sank down, exhausted, and buried his head in his hands, body racked by heaving sobs. Something nudged himself in the side, a head forcing itself under his arm and pleading silently for attention. He let out a weak chuckle "Hey Buckbeak," he was momentarily confused before he remembered that the hippogriff was staying with Hagrid during term time. He stroked the cruel beak with one hand as the other petted the silken feathers absent-mindedly. The creature's fierce golden eyes drifted shut and the boy leaned down, burying his head in the hippogriff's soft feathers.

"I forgot you were here. I bet you like it, being out in the open air, being able to fly, not being trapped in the house, like dad…" his voice faltered and he stopped for a minute, Buckbeak lifted his head, stroking his beak delicately through the boy's jet black curls. "I miss him too, Beaky. I miss him all the time. It's not fair! He was supposed to be cleared! We were supposed to be free! I only just found him again. HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE!" he choked out, tears now flowing freely "And now I'm all alone. Even though I'm finally here, the place I've heard about in all those stories, ever since I was a kid, I'm still alone." The hippogriff nudged him insistently and Aries looked up into the hard, steely gaze of the beast which nonetheless seemed to be insisting he was not alone. Buckbeak rose from his position curled on the lake shore, onto his knees and seemed to indicate to the boy that he wished to fly. "Really?" Aries asked, dashing away his tears with the back of his hand and clambering on, settling just behind the wing joints, arms wrapped around the hippogriff's feathered neck. "I've wanted to do this since I was thirteen" And the pair lifted into the air with the beating of a pair of massive, powerful wings.

-~ASB~-

Harry tried to swallow the painful lump in his throat as he stormed from the room. He strode off towards Gryffindor tower, biting his lip, fingernails cutting painfully into his palms in an attempt to stop himself breaking down completely. Thankfully he did not meet anyone on his way to the tower, he was sure he would have either lashed out or started crying and not been able to stop. As it was, the Fat Lady's kindly, concerned gaze was almost enough to undo him and he rushed through the portrait hole and up to his dormitory where he kicked off his shoes and curled up under the duvet of his four poster, fully determined to hide in his bed all day.

He hadn't cried for Sirius. Not at the Ministry, not at Hogwarts during the last few days of the summer term. At the Dursleys' he had been consumed by lethargy and depression and at the Burrow it had been too crowded, there was always someone around. That is not to say he hadn't grieved, he had, constantly, but he'd never expressed that grief as tears.

He had never really cried. Or not as long as he could remember anyway, he must have when he was first dumped at his aunt and uncle's. He had soon learnt that it was safer not to draw their attention; he had stopped even crying to himself when he was locked in the dark confines of his cupboard at night. This sort of desperate, painful sobbing which left him feeling exhausted was a new experience for Harry…

He had always known Snape disliked him, positively despised him, and he had _hated_ Sirius but Harry had never thought even he would sink that low. The man really was a bastard. This went beyond his normal spiteful comments and vitriol that he sneered at Harry at every opportunity, it was beyond hateful, it was downright unforgivable. Not only in front of Harry, but Aries too, he'd even commented on Bellatrix "playing" with her victims when Neville was in the room for Christ's sake.

No matter what excuses Dumbledore made, there was nothing that would make him forgive Snape. Dread coiled in his stomach at the thought of facing the greasy git again, after all he had stormed from the classroom of the most feared professor at Hogwarts, but it was soon washed away by his anger.

Oh God, he'd run out of _Snape's_ lesson. He was going to be murdered. And _everyone_ had seen. He'd have to deal with all the questions, the congratulations, the concern. After all, Snape hadn't referred to Sirius by name, so most of them would have no idea what had triggered those reactions from him and Aries. He was not looking forward to facing his classmates' inquisition.

It must have been quarter of an hour later that he finally looked up from his cocoon of blankets and duvets and looked out the window. In the distance he could see a speck that was too large to be an owl, soaring low over the lake. Intrigued, he rose and leaned against the window sill as he peered out.

It was a hippogriff. Not just any hippogriff, it was Buckbeak, and there was someone on his back. There was only one person crazy enough, not to mention who knew him well enough, to try and fly the hippogriff: Aries. His heart twisted painfully in his chest as he remembered watching his godfather fly away, escaping on the very same beast, but then he grinned fiercely.

Seconds later he had flung the window wide open, Firebolt in hand and dived gracefully from the ledge, soaring away from Gryffindor tower.

-~ASB~-

The door slammed behind Neville as he strode confidently from the room, echoing loudly in the empty corridor. Neville seemed to deflate, all his earlier bravado leaving him as he slumped against the wall, head tilted back, letting out a long, shuddering breath. He couldn't believe he'd done that. Snape had always _terrified _him, he'd been his boggart for Merlin's sake, but that had changed after the ministry. He felt he'd proved, to himself and to the world that he was truly his parents' son, in more than just biology but spirit too. He'd stood up to his parents' torturer, Snape just didn't compare.

He needed time to think things through so he pushed himself away from the wall and wandered absent-mindedly down to the greenhouses, taking a long meandering path through the courtyard in order to give himself time to calm down. The Herbology professor had recognised Neville's talent at her subject years ago and he had permission to work with the plants outside of class so he often spent the afternoon helping her once he had finished lessons for the day. It helped him relax and distracted him when Snape or Malfoy had been particularly vicious.

When he reached the greenhouse he saw Professor Sprout was working to re-pot some newly arrived seedlings so he joined her. The two worked in companionable silence, the friendly Head of Hufflepuff seeming to accept that her favourite student needed to work through something in his head and the manual task helped him with that, he would speak when he was ready.

They finished the seedlings and Neville straightened from the workbench wiping his forehead with the back of one hand and leaving a smear of earth behind from his soil-covered hands. "We had our first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Snape this morning, I'm supposed to be in there now, in fact" he launched into an explanation of the class' dramatic events, face darkening at the mention of Bellatrix Lestrange but barely stumbling over his own part in the tale.

Professor Sprout stared at him in shock but rested a comforting hand on his shoulder "I think we should go and see Professor McGonagall now Neville, she needs to hear about this as soon as possible". The blonde boy nodded reluctantly but joined her as she washed her hands and headed off across the lawns towards the castle.

-~ASB~-

Had Neville or Professor Sprout looked up as they headed towards their destination they would have seen a figure on a broom plummeting towards the ground in a dive so steep it was almost vertical, pulling out so close to the ground that his toes brushed the grass and rocketing towards the lake. But they did not look up and so they did not see him or the boy flying the hippogriff, they were too focused on the meeting they were about to have.

Harry whooped as he felt the wind rushing through his hair but he was going so fast that his shout was snatched away the second it escaped his lips. He rolled and looped, performing breath-taking stunts with no fear for life or limb, a reckless joy filling him.

He pulled up beside his godbrother and the two teens shared a fierce grin. "Race you?" he challenged. "Other side of the lake and back" agreed Aries as he dug his knees in, making Buckbeak speed up. Harry accelerated in an effort to keep up, neck and neck with the speeding hippogriff. One of Buckbeak's claws trailed along the surface of the lake, sending up a spray of water that soaked him. Aries let out a bark of laughter and stuck his tongue out as he pulled ahead, Harry's indignant expression and "HEY!" only serving to make him laugh harder.

"I'll get you back for that Black! Don't you think I won't! You'll pay! And you, Buckbeak, you great big over-sized chicken!" He yelled after them, but their only response was a cheery wave from Aries and another drenching as the hippogriff very deliberately trailed both feet along the surface of the lake.

-~ASB~-

Far in the distance, in a tower room of the castle, an old man chuckled at their antics as he popped another sherbet lemon into his mouth and sucked on it, gleefully. He leant against the windowsill as he watched the two boys as they raced, apparently, for the first time since they had arrived at the castle for the start of the term, truly happy and carefree.

And so it was that Dumbledore was the only witness to what must have been one of the strangest sights ever seen by wizardkind, a race between the riders of a broom and a hippogriff, but then again, this _was_ Hogwarts- six impossible things happened before breakfast every day.

**A/N: thanks to redstickbonbon (my most regular reviewer), doscabezas, cytankee and the reader in LA for reviewing :D it gives me a bit of a boost to actually start writing the next chapter :P so if anyone fancies reviewing, telling me what they like/don't like and any improvements or ideas, that'd be awesome :D**

**thanks also to my amazing awesomeful bestest little bro Becka, who is my beta and also made the beautiful cover art and even promoted me on tumblr :D the guy in the picture is alex vlahos, (mordred in merlin- not that i watch that) and he reminded me of aries with the curls and the kinda shy and the jumper which looks like a weasley or gryffindor jumper :D also, that's the hogwarts express and buckbeak that are a bit cut off by the stupid format it has to be in :/ and paddy of course, he shall be returning soon, (he's a black irish wolfhound if anyone's interested)**

**i wrote this chapter so quickly :O and i even have next chapter all planned out :O :O :O anyhoo, hope you liked it- ramble over ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Minerva McGonagall had been a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for nearly forty years and in that time she had attended thousands of staff meetings. She usually looked forward to the meeting at the end of the first week of the autumn term, it was a chance to relax after what was inevitably a hectic week. They would discuss how the new students were settling in and any other issues that had arisen, then decide how to try and resolve them.

On this occasion however, she could not settle in her favourite armchair in front of the fire with a Firewhisky while she waited for the meeting to begin. She could not settle down to a game of chess against Filius Flitwick as part of their on-going challenge or even sit and gossip about the students with Poppy and Pomona- though the three of them would vehemently deny, if accused, that they would ever _gossip_.

The long, wood panelled room was slightly shabby but exuded an air of cosiness that more than made up for it. The mismatched chairs were a little worn but clearly well loved, favourites having long since been chosen by each professor. The room was as familiar to Minerva as her own room back home but this time she could not relax. She sat, stiffly, in her chair to the right of Albus' at the head of the long table that was used for meetings, back poker straight and mouth pursed in a line so thin as to be nearly invisible.

The other teachers settled in their chairs, their usual chatter a little hushed as they glanced warily at the angry Scot, who was clearly on the warpath. Snape skulked into the room, robes flaring around him, defiance written clearly across his scowling face. Before Minerva could speak, Albus joined them and took his seat, starting the meeting. There was no major issue requiring their attention so the conversation focused on the incoming first years and how they were settling in.

"And young Mister Black? How is he settling in?" the Headmaster asked genially and was surprised at the growl that escaped his Deputy. "What's wrong Minerva? I was under the impression you were rather fond of Aries, or was I mistaken?"

"Of course you weren't mistaken! I'm very fond of the poor bairn but he would be settling in a lot better were it not for the actions of my _esteemed_ colleague." She spat out. Half the staff, those who had not spoken to Pomona before the meeting, were looking perplexed, as was a rather bemused Albus.

"I always knew you were biased Severus but this time you've gone too far! It was completely unprofessional- of all the cruel, vile, downright sadistic things you could have possibly done…" Snape sneered at her and McGonagall was so overcome by rage that she could not speak.

"Whatever are you talking about, my dear?" asked the Headmaster.

"This spiteful, immature, vicious _bastard_ is what I'm talking about! Have you any idea what he's done!" She had risen from her seat and one finger jabbed at the air in front of Snape, who seated on Albus' other side.

"Minerva? Severus? Would someone please explain what on earth is going on here" pleaded Albus

Pomona Sprout cleared her throat and all eyes swivelled to look at her, except for Minerva's which were still attempting to burn a hole through the surly potions' master. " I received a visit from Mister Longbottom this morning, after he had left Severus' lesson partway through the first period. It appears that during his opening speech Severus insulted Sirius Black, quite deliberately, in front of Aries Black and Harry Potter. He said, among other things, that Sirius was a fool and he deserved to die, he also implied that Mister Potter led him to his death and that his recklessness would get others killed." Her voice and phrasing was neutral as she gave her report but her face betrayed her true feelings.

"He called Sirius a mutt and asked whether he had prevented Aries attending Hogwarts before now because he was ashamed of the boy or if it was because the boy was too stupid. Then he suggested Aries pay attention as he would need to know how to defend himself should he ever encounter Bellatrix Lestrange. He said it was unfortunate that Lestrange was denied the opportunity to _play_ with Sirius before she killed him, as she normally prefers to torture her victims first."

The normally amicable Herbology Professor's face was twisted with disgust as she gave her report. "Young Mister Black shouted at Severus to shut up but at this point his emotions were so high that a magical wind appeared and tore through the classroom, he ran from the room before it could do any serious damage. Mister Potter did not speak a word but fled immediately after this, clearly in a state of great distress."

"Mister Longbottom was offended on behalf of his friends and Sirius, he mentioned he was in the death room at the Department of Mysteries when Sirius fell through the arch, and he was greatly angered by the comments about Bellatrix Lestrange, understandably so" many of the staff shared sad glances as they remembered the fate of Neville's parents. "He reprimanded Professor Snape and then left the class to join me in the greenhouses, where, after a little time to cool down, he explained the situation to me and we brought the situation to Minerva's attention."

Dumbledore's disappointment was written clearly upon his face as he gazed at Snape. "Severus? Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Why should I explain myself? I was merely using a relevant example to illustrate my point, the importance of planning and care in dangerous situations."

"You pathetic piece of _sh_-" exclaimed Minerva but she was cut off by a glare from the Headmaster.

Albus' face darkened and it was suddenly clear why he was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever feared. "This meeting is over. Severus. Minerva. My office. NOW!" He commanded as he rose and swept from the room, the two Heads of House following reluctantly in his wake like chastised children- Minerva still outraged, Severus still defiant.

A ringing silence filled the void left by their departure. The rest of the staff stared in shock at the door which had slammed shut behind them. Albus _never_ raised his voice, he much preferred using a gentle, disappointed tone that left the listener so filled with guilt that they would do anything to appease it. This time, however, they could see why he was so angry- Snape had been given a lot of leniency by the Headmaster in the past but this time he had crossed the line, gone so far, in fact, that the line was nothing but a distant memory.

As the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office slid back into place a raised voice was heard briefly before it was cut off. The voice was deep and chilling, with an ominous note in it that did not bode well for the one on the receiving end of the outburst. Nearly Headless Nick shuddered as he drifted past, wisely deciding that this was most definitely not a good time to visit the Headmaster.

**A/N: So here it is, a bit later than i meant it but hopefully worth the wait :P**

**Thanks to StrawberriesAndCinnamonJAM, redstickbonbon, cytankee, doscabezas and knigity for the reviews :)**

**This chapter should hopefully put me over 1000 views (seeing as i'm on 900 and there were over 100 on the day that i posted chapter 7 then it definitely should) and so to celebrate that i thought i'd do a little competition- don't know if anyone'll care but hey :P - once i reach 1000 views then i'll write a oneshot suggested by one of you guys in a review- it has to be Harry Potter, not necessarily Aries Sirius Black though and just to warn you, i'm pretty rubbish at writing romance :D**

**so yeah, please review telling me what you thought of this latest chapter and with your suggestions for my one-shot :D**


	9. Chapter 9

Albus Dumbledore was rarely angry but when he was, like everything he did, he took it to the extreme. For example, when he decided to take on a harmless persona as Headmaster to throw people off guard and make them forget he was the powerful defeater of Grindlewald he went all out, complete with twinkling eyes, luridly coloured robes and lemon drops. So when he was angry he was nothing short of terrifying.

He did not shout; he didn't need to. He did not yell but his raised voice was deep and with a certain tone to it that sent shivers down the spine of everyone who heard it. His eyes lost their usual twinkle and seemed to bore into the man sitting opposite him who flushed slightly and looked down, feeling like a scolded child. Had Harry Potter overheard he would have immediately remembered the Howler sent to his Aunt the previous summer but he did not and neither McGonagall nor Snape had ever seen Albus this angry.

Severus Snape sat there and let the wave of noise wash over him as he glowered at his hands, resting in his lap. It was not fair, Albus hadn't even been this mad when Black had nearly gotten him _killed_ with his 'prank' with the werewolf and the whomping willow. What Severus had done was nothing compared to that. The Potter and Black brats were so stubborn but he had to make them see, they had to learn or they'd end up dead like their fathers and then all his hard work over the years making sure Potter stayed alive would be wasted. Admittedly he could have phrased it better but just seeing the two of them together, so like their fathers, had triggered humiliating memories and he had lashed out. Still, Albus was over-reacting; he hadn't done anything _that_ bad.

"I would like to see your memory of the incident this morning now Severus" announced Albus waving his wand so that his penseive drifted over from an open cabinet and settled on the desk between them. Severus' lips started to twist into a sneer but he forced himself to stop when he caught sight of the steely glint in the Headmaster's normally twinkling eyes. He raised his wand to his temple and extracted a single strand of shimmering silver memory which he reluctantly deposited in the pensieve. "Minerva, join me" directed Albus as he was sucked into the memory.

Snape did not fidget as he sullenly waited for them to view the memory. He was _not_ a disobedient student to be reprimanded, he was their colleague, even, dare he say it, their friend. Nonetheless, he could not help feeling the slightest bit of trepidation as he waited for the inevitable explosion.

When the pair surfaced from the memory Minerva was angrier than he had ever seen her, and that was saying something – he had, after all, gone to school with the Marauders and witnessed her reactions to the pranks played upon her by them. She began cursing him, rather inventively, even utilising a few Gaelic swear words and Severus made a mental note to remember some of the more unusual insults for use on his students.

Albus peered over his half-moon spectacles at him with such a look of disappointment that Snape squirmed, uncomfortably, in his seat. "I expected better of you Severus. Your conduct was completely unacceptable. I've made my excuses for your manners for years but this, insulting a dead man to his sons' face, is inexcusable. I have no other options, you are on probation for a month- you will not insult either Harry or Aries, or their fathers, during that period. If you do, well, the consequences will be severe."

**A/N: sorry for the huge gap between chapters, I've been juggling coursework and revision for exams with writing and was also struggling with writers' block. I wasn't originally planning on including this scene but a few people asked for it, I really struggled with it so it's a lot shorter than the other chapters. I've already written chapter 10 and after this I have up to chapter 17 or so planned**


	10. Chapter 10

"Harry and Aries aren't here are they?" asked Ron, looking around as he entered the dorm room at the start of the fourth week of term. Dean and Seamus were sprawled on the floor playing exploding snap and Neville was lying on his bed, half his attention on their game, the other half on a Herbology book. They shook their heads and looked at him, intrigued.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you guys. Have you noticed Harry and Aries are never here when we wake up in the mornings, they're down in the common room and when I wake up in the night they're either lying in their beds awake or have gone down there to talk?" The others nodded and waited, wondering why he was asking them this.

"Well, you might not have noticed so much- he does do a bloody good silencing charm- but Harry's had bad nightmares since the end of fourth year, and well, I think things have got worse, after Sirius' death, y'now, his godfather, at the Ministry in June."

Neville shuddered a little "I don't blame him, _I_ still get nightmares from the Death Chamber sometimes and I didn't even know Sirius Black. To see your godfather die, after Cedric and everything…" he trailed off.

"Well, anyway, you must have noticed Harry hasn't really been himself, he's exhausted all the time- looks like a bloody panda with those shadows under his eyes." Ron continued.

Seamus and Dean exchanged a glance and smirked a little at Ron's description. "Yeah, we've seen. Can't be healthy, poor bloke." An uncharacteristically serious look crossed the Irish boy's face as he spoke.

"Aries is almost as bad. Sirius was his dad and he's had trouble dealing with his death and he told me his mum died some time this spring too. Harry let slip that Aries was there and that it was bad but he wouldn't say anything else." Chipped in Neville, his round face worried on behalf of his friends.

"I didn't know that" said Ron, looking slightly guilty. He had been mainly concerned with Harry; Aries was just a minor consideration as far as he was concerned. He felt a little guilty now for his jealousy of the younger boy; he had resented what he saw as the muscling in on his friendship with Harry, an attempt to steal his place as best friend, but if he had lost his entire family in the space of a year it would be only natural to cling to the last link to them.

"I reckon they can't be getting more than about three hours of sleep a night" mused Dean "no wonder they don't look too good."

"Harry's always been stubborn when it comes to his health, he really _hates_ the hospital wing. There's no way he'll go on his own but they need to see Madam Pomfrey. They can't carry on like this- I'm surprised they haven't collapsed already" explained Ron.

The others made noises of agreement and Neville spoke up once more "Well, we'll have to confront them, it's for their own good, and if they won't go we'll just have to make them." A year ago the determined look on his face would have looked comical but his recent growth spurt combined with his new confidence and maturity ensured that was no longer the case.

"Make them?" questioned Seamus.

"Physically drag them if we have to" Ron confirmed. "You and Neville take Aries, me and Dean'll take Harry."

The four teens nodded in agreement and settled back down, waiting for their missing friends to arrive. It didn't take long, five minutes later Harry and Aries stumbled through the door, clutching their sides and in fits of uncontrollable giggles.

"Did you see his face?" sniggered Aries.

"That expression- priceless!" Harry agreed, flopping down on his bed. Aries deposited his bag by his trunk and collapsed onto his own four-poster. They looked around and noticed the sombre expressions on their dorm-mates' faces for the first time. "Um, guys, is everything okay?" enquired a bemused Harry.

"We wanted to talk to you guys," started Ron, looking around at the others to back him up "we, er, well, we share a dorm with you so it's kinda hard to miss" he trailed off, unsure how to say it.

"We noticed you guys don't seem to be sleeping very well" interrupted Neville

"Or at all really" Dean added helpfully.

"We're worried, we think you should go to Madam Pomfrey" Seamus explained.

Harry's reaction was exactly what they had expected, he leapt to his feet and glared at all of them "I'm perfectly fine, thank you, I don't need you lot sticking your noses into what doesn't concern you." He snarled sounding, for a second, disturbingly similar to the Snape when he was in a rage. Aries stayed in the background, seemingly happy to let Harry handle this argument.

"But you're not fine mate, neither of you are. You're like sleepwalkers, you keep nearly dropping off in class and you look a mess. You can't be feeling well either, anyone could tell you that just by looking at you."

"Not everyone needs 10 hours of sleep a night like you Ron." Tension was written in every line of Harry's body as he glared at the four boys.

"But you clearly need more than the two or three which are all you're actually getting" interjected Dean.

While they were all focused on Harry, Aries had risen to his feet and begun slowly edging towards the door, hoping to escape the confrontation. Neville noticed when he was within a metre and a half and jumped up, grabbing Aries arm.

"Oh no you don't! You're not running away from us. You're coming down to the infirmary with us right now." Neville told him. The smaller boy struggled against his friend but gave up when Seamus grabbed his other arm and they began frog-marching him down the stairs. Harry would have laughed at his god-brother's predicament had Ron and Dean not grabbed him under an arm each and started dragging him along too.

"NO! Guys! Let me go!" he protested as they passed through the common room where the usual chatter had paused to watch their strange procession, amused murmuring starting up again the second they had passed.

Luckily the corridors were almost deserted, most people having returned to their common rooms to relax after a long day of lessons. Harry tried digging his heels in but the smooth stone floor offered no purchase and both his captors were taller and stronger than him. Ahead of him he could see Aries renewed struggles were meeting with just as little success as his own.

They rounded a corner on the first floor, only a few corridors from the Hospital Wing, when `they almost barrelled into Professor McGonagall. Their stern Head of House raised one eyebrow and looked at them all "Would someone please care to explain what on earth is going on here?" she enquired.

They exchanged glances before Neville spoke up "We're taking them to the Hospital Wing, professor McGonagall." He explained.

"And why exactly does that require you to drag them down the corridor like this?" there was a hint of steel in her tone.

"Because they're too bloody stubborn to admit they need help and go on their own, Professor." Seamus told her, flushing a bit when he realised what he'd just said in front of her.

"Language Mr Finnigan." She scolded before looking over the group once more "Carry on, gentlemen" she said, nodding and sweeping off in a whirl of emerald green robes.

The four of them breathed a sigh of relief while Harry and Aries scowled that she had not rescued them. Their struggles became more pronounced as approached the doors of the infirmary but it was no good. They burst through the doors, startling Madam Pomfrey, who was organising her inventory in the large walk-in cupboard at the back of the ward.

"What is the meaning of this you six?" she demanded.

"Nothing, they're just being idiots, we'll just leave." Harry quickly replied, trying to turn and leave, only to be stopped by Ron and Dean.

"It's not nothing, Ma'am, they haven't been getting any sleep but they're too pig-headed to come and see you about it" Seamus cut him off. They pushed Harry and Aries forward before bolting for the doors, shutting and locking them behind them.

Harry groaned as he watched his last chance at escape slip through his fingers.

**A/N: hopefully the double upload makes up for the lack of posting over the last few weeks. i've got the next few chapters planned so should be back on schedule (for a while at least). please review and let my know what you think, let me know what you thought went well/you liked and any improvements :)**


	11. Chapter 11

It was a rather disgruntled Harry and Aries that finally rejoined their friends at the Gryffindor table for dinner the next evening. They had finally persuaded Madam Pomfrey to release them, though she had insisted they return for a check-up in a week and their relief at escaping her clutches was warring with their annoyance at their friends.

The two boys slid into their seats at the Gryffindor table, shooting glares at their dorm-mates.

"I thought she was never going to let us out" grumbled Aries, beginning to serve himself from the dishes in the middle of the table and ignoring the concerned glances Hermione kept shooting him.

"But you feel better now, don't you?" he ignored her question, and continued selecting his dinner "Honestly, you two should look after yourselves better, I've been saying it for weeks" she trailed off at the glare she received from Harry.

"We're fine. And even if we weren't, it's our business, so leave it alone." He declared moodily as he started to eat. Hermione and the other four boys exchanged looks but let it rest. "So, did we miss anything interesting?" Harry changed the subject.

"Not much, but Neville did hit Malfoy with a silent stunner so powerful he flew backwards into the wall in Defence this afternoon" Aries snickered a little at the mental image while Harry grinned widely "Snape was livid" this set off a fresh round of sniggering from everyone except Hermione, who looked at them all disapprovingly.

"I can't believe I missed it! Good on you, Nev" Harry clapped Neville on the shoulder. "I'm so proud of you" he ruffled the other boys head but Neville ducked away and glared at him, the others all laughed.

Two figures entered the great hall and started walking between the house tables but Harry and Aries were facing the opposite direction. "Hey, is that Professor Lupin? What's he doing here? And who's that with him?" asked Seamus, pointing over their shoulders.

Harry and Aries whipped their heads around to see and sure enough, just inside the doors to the Great Hall were Remus and Tonks. Remus looked tired but his robes were a little less shabby than before- Tonks had probably bullied him into buying new ones with the money Sirius left him. Tonks herself was as vibrantly dressed as ever and the outfit was completed by her favourite shade of bubblegum pink hair.

The two boys jumped up and ran towards the newcomers "DORA!" yelled Aries, bowling her over with the enthusiasm of her hug, they stumbled and collapsed in a heap on the floor, laughing their heads off. Harry was slightly more restrained "Remus" he grinned and was enveloped in a bear hug.

The two of them turned to Aries and Dora who were struggling to disentangle themselves. Harry offered his hand to Tonks and pulled her up "Tonks, graceful as ever" he teased, hugging her too. Remus helped Aries to his feet and hugged the younger boy, whose smile was so huge it looked like it might split his face.

"We were just here to see Dumbledore about something and we were going to come and see you guys anyway, but then he mentioned that you'd both spent a night in the hospital wing so we decided we'd ask you about that as well" Remus explained, one arm still slung over Aries' shoulder.

Aries groaned and rested his forehead against Remus' shoulder "It's all Nev's fault".

Remus started leading Aries towards the door and Tonks linked her arm with Harry's dragging him after them. "I promised I'd show Dora where the kitchens are and we can eat and talk without worrying about anyone listening in" he told them, heading in the direction of the corridor with the painting of the fruit bowl that was the entrance to the kitchens.

~ASB~

Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table and glared at the touching scene in front of him. At first he had not recognised the woman but when Black had hugged her she had reverted to what must have been her natural appearance. The high cheekbones, thick dark brown hair and stormy grey eyes made her look almost like a cross between his own mother and his Aunt Bellatrix, exactly how he had always imaged the blood-traitor Andromeda to look. That, combined with the metamorphmagus abilities she had just displayed, told him that the mystery woman was his half-blood cousin, Nymphadora Tonks.

It wasn't fair, he'd been alone his whole childhood and he'd always wanted a relative near to his own age but the only one he had was Nymphadora Tonks, who his parents refused to acknowledge. As a young boy he'd longed to meet his slightly older cousin but as he'd got older he'd given it up as an impossibility. When he was only five or six he'd heard his mother ranting about her acceptance into the auror training programme and his only thought had been how cool it would be to have an auror for a cousin. He had never voiced the thought as, even then, he had realised it would get him in trouble with his parents. So he felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Black and Tonks together, she was _his_ first cousin, whereas Black was only their second cousin. Outwardly though, he merely sneered at the public display of affection before turning back to his dinner.

~ASB~

Lupin tickled the pear and climbed through into the bustling kitchen. "I can't believe I never found this! It's only two minutes from the Hufflepuff dorms!" the other three laughed at the shocked expression on Tonks' face.

"Well, you didn't have the help of the Marauders did you?" said Harry, playfully shoving Remus in the shoulder "What I want to know is how you guys found it in the first place"

"Well, James and Sirius couldn't live without the odd midnight snack so it was a matter of priority. We found it after about a month I think."

Their conversation had attracted the attention of the House Elves and a second later a knee high blur charged at them and Harry found his legs being hugged by Dobby who was chattering away, much to his companions' amusement. Harry grinned and asked Dobby how he was, prompting a fresh round of wailing, as Remus asked the House Elves if they could have some food.

Five minutes later the four of them were settled down at the end of one of the tables, surrounded by a veritable feast that the House Elves had provided. "So, I take it my two favourite nephews have become friends?" Lupin smiled at Harry and Aries kindly "I thought you would" they both grinned. "Sirius and James always wanted you to be close."

Harry's smile was bittersweet but he reached over and ruffled Aries hair, drawing a shout of protest from the younger boy "Well, seeing as he's already my godbrother I've decided to adopt him and make him my new little brother".

Aries scowled, "I'm only a year younger than you and I'm the same height as you so watch who you're calling _little_."

Tonks laughed at that and grinned "So does that make you my cousin too Harry?"

"Yup" Harry stuck his tongue out at her "So you can't get rid of me anymore, even if you wanted to!"

Remus smiled and reached out, intertwining his fingers with Tonks' "It goes both ways, Harry, you can't get rid of Dora either"

"HA!" exclaimed Aries "I knew it! I _knew_ you two liked each other!"

Harry merely raised an eyebrow as he regarded Remus and Tonks' clasped hands "When did that happen?"

Tonks blushed but answered without hesitation "This summer. I spent a lot of time at Grimmauld with Aries and of course Remus was there and well… It just sort of happened."

Harry grinned "Congratulations to both of you. I reckon you'll be good for the old wolf, Tonks."

Remus gave a half-hearted swat at Harry's head but he was laughing too "You watch who you're calling old, cub. Now, what's this I hear about you two spending a night in the Hospital Wing?"

Harry grumbled a bit while Aries practically growlded out his explanation "Bloody traitorous dorm mates dobbed us in to the Dragon Lady. So we hadn't been sleeping much, it's nothing to do with them, they should learn to mind their own bloody blusiness."

"Aries Sirius Black you mind that language or I'll wash your mouth out for you" Remus looked concerned though "Not sleeping? Why is that?"

"Nightmares" mumbled Harry, studiously avoiding meeting his honorary uncle's gaze.

"Oh boys" Remus's soft brown eyes were sad as he looked at the two boys he considered his cubs, "What did the '_Dragon Lady'_ say?".

"She gave us some Dreamless Sleep last night and we can have it twice a week if we need it but no more. We have to go for another check-up in a week and she advised us to talk to someone about our nightmares." Harry met Remus' gaze, his eyes filled with a swirling mess of emotions, embarassment, annoyance, exhaustion and a deep sadness.

"I don't think there's anything more that you can do, but let me know if it gets any worse. Tonks and I are always here if you need someone to talk to and don't be afraid to go to Madam Pomfrey if you need to." Remus held up a hand seeing they were about to protest. "Look, I know you don't like the Hospital Wing but it's a necessary evil, you can't get by with only a few hours sleep a night."

Harry and Aries exchanged a glance but after a second they nodded reluctantly in agreement. "Good. Now that that's settled, Aries, how are you finding Hogwarts?" asked Tonks.

The four of them lost track of time as they chatted until suddenly Remus looked at his watch and cursed. "Damn! It's nearly curfew, you two need to get back to the common room. Harry, have you got the cloak?" Harry nodded. "Right, you can use that to avoid getting caught by a teacher. See you soon cub" he hugged Harry while Tonks embraced Aries "And you too, pup." He ruffled Aries' hair as he pulled him into a bear hug as Harry and Tonks hugged and said their own farewells.

"Now off you go!" He shoved the pair of them in the direction of the exit andslid an arm over Tonks' shoulders, pulling her close to his side, as they watched the pair of laughing boys disappear under the invisibility cloak, the door shutting behind them.

**A/N: Sorry for the gap between chapters, I had coursework and have exams starting in two weeks so they'll probably be quite irregular updates for the next month and a half until I finish school. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and as always, please send in a review telling me what you liked and what could be improved, it always helps keep me motivated to write the next chapter :D**


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